Tamperproof display receptacle



June 24, 1969 E. H. CAPLAN 3,451,535

TAMPERPROOF DISPLAY RECEPTACLE Filed Au 29, 1967 INVENTOR 5424 HC'APL/l/V ATTO-RNEY United States Patent US. Cl. 206-44 1 Claim ABSTRACTOF THE DISCLOSURE A tamperproof display receptacle is formed of aunitary cardboard blank and includes side walls projecting rearwardlyfrom the vertical marginal edges of a windowed front wall and providedwith locking tabs projecting from their terminal rear edges, said tabshaving neck sections terminating in enlarged heads. Panels projectforwardly from the rear wall into positions underlying the side walls,each panel having a base slit formed along its rear edge of a widthbetween that of the tab neck and head, and slits forwardly divergingfrom the base slit to points spaced a distance greater than the width ofthe tab head. The tabs are contiguous to the front face of the rear wallwith their necks registering with the base slits and are retained inposition by the panel flaps delineated by the base and diverging slits.

Background of the invention The present invention relates generally toimprovements in receptacles and particularly to an improved tamperproofcarton.

In the marketing and dispensing of many products, as exemplified bybottled pharmaceuticals, it is frequently desirable to package theproduct in a container provided with a removable closure which permitsready access to the product and then to package the container in asecond receptacle to facilitate the distribution and display of theproduct. In such packaging arrangements it is highly desirable toprovide means for preventing the unauthorized removal of the firstcontainer from the second. Many forms of tamperproof cartons have beenemployed or proposed but these possess many drawbacks and disadvantages.They are generally unreliable in their operation, difficult to employ,are of limited application and present many problems in their loadingand use.

Summary of the invention It is a principal object of the presentinvention to provide an improved receptacle.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtamperproof carton.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improvedtamperproof carton which is formed of a unitary blank and is simple toassemble, load and close.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a receptacle ofthe above nature characterized by its simplicity, versatility,ruggedness, low cost and attractive appearance.

The above and other objects of the present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following description taken inconjunction with the accompanying drawing.

In accordance with the present invention the improved carton is formedof a unitary blank 11 which includes a sealing tab 20 and rear wallpanel 19, a bottom wall panel 18, a windowed front wall panel 12, a topwall panel 16 and a display panel 17 connected successively end to endand delineated by transverse fold lines. A pair of side wall definingpanels 23 extend laterally from the front wall panel 12 and are providedwith locking tabs 24 which "ice project laterally from the free edges ofthe sidewall panel and are of the structure above set forth. A pair ofpanels 30 extend laterally from the side edges of the rear wall panel 19and flap delineating slits 32, 33 are formed therein. In the assembledcondition, the display panel 17 projects upwardly from the rear edge ofthe top wall 16, the sealing tab 20 of the rear wall being cemented tothe rear face thereof and the slit panels 30 underlie the side wallpanels with the locking tabs projecting through the slits and lyingalong the inner face of the rear wall. The subject structure is simpleand inexpensive and is easy to assemble, load and lock in a closedtamperproof condition. In order to open the locked closed carton toobtain access to the contents thereof one or more of the seals orcomponents thereof must be broken or severed, thereby providing clearevidence of such access.

Brief description of the drawings FIGURE 1 is a front perspective viewof a looked assembled carton embodying the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view of a blank from which the carton is formed;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary outside end perspective view showingthe locking tab in a partially inserted position;

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical transverse sectional viewshowing the locking tab in its locked position; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary inside perspective view showing the lockingtab in its lock position.

Description of the preferred embodiment Referring to the drawing whichillustrates a preferred embodiment of the present invention, referencenumeral 10 generally designates the improved carton which is assembledfrom a unitary blank 11 formed of cardboard or other suitable material,suitably decorated and having any desirable information applied theretoby printing or otherw1se.

Blank 11 includes a rectangular front wall defining panel 12 having awindow 13 formed therein which may be covered by a transparent plasticsheet 14 cemented to the rear face of panel 12. Exending from the upperedge of panel 12 and delineated therefrom by a transverse fold line a isa top wall defining panel 16 from the upper edge of which extends arectangular display panel 17 delineated from panel 16 by a transversefold line b. A bottom wall defining rectangular panel 1 8 extends fromthe lower edge of panel 12 and is delineated therefrom by a fold line c,and extending from the lower edge of panel 18 and delineated therefromby a transverse fold line d is a rear wall defining rectangular panel 19terminating in a sealing tab 20 having converging side edges.

A pair of rectangular flaps 21 project laterally from opposite sideedges of panel 16 and are delineated therefrom by longitudinal foldlines e, and a pair of rectangular flaps 22 project laterally from theside edges of panel 18 and are delineated therefrom by longitudinal foldlines f.

A side wall defining rectangular panel 23 extends laterally from eachside edge of panel 12 and is coextensive therewith and delineatedtherefrom by a respective longitudinal fold line g. The upper and loweredges of the panels 23 are separated from the adjacent edges of flaps 21and 22 by transverse slits.

A locking tab 24 is medially positioned along each outer side edge ofpanel 12 and projects laterally therefrom. Each tab '24 includes a shortneck section 26 delineated from panel 12 by a fold line h, and anenlarged head 27 extends from the outer edge of neck section 26. Head 27includes upper and lower substantially triangular ears 28 delineatedfrom the main portion of the head 27 by horizontal fold lines i andhaving vertical inner edges spaced 3 from the outer edges of the panels23 a distance equal to the length of the necks 26. The outer edges 29 ofthe heads 24 are arcuate and convex.

Projecting laterally from the opposite side edges of back panel 19 arerectangular panels 30 coextensive with the panel 19 and delineatedtherefrom by longitudinal fold lines k. A medially located slit 32 isformed along each fold line k and is of width between that of the neck26 and the distance between the outer tips of opposite cars 28 of eachhead 27. Laterally outwardly diverging from the ends of each slit 32 areslits 33, said slits 32 and 33 delineating trapezoidal flaps 34connected at their wide or base ends to the bodies of panels 30. Thewidth of the base of each flap 34, that is, the distance between thespread ends of the slits 33, is greater than the greatest width oflocking tab head 27.

In erecting blank 11 to form carton 10, panels 12 and 19 are foldedupwardly along lines and a, panel 16 is folded rearwardly along line aand the panel 17 is folded upwardly along line b and cemented along itsbottom rear border to the front face of sealing tab 20. Flaps 21 arefolded downwardly along lines e and flaps 22 are folded upwardly alonglines f.

Panels 30 are folded forwardly along lines k and then the locking tabs24 are folded rearwardly along lines 11. Thereafter, panels 23 arefolded rearwardly along lines g, tab heads 27, as seen in FIGURE 3,being inwardly inserted through slits 32, flaps 34 swinging inwardly andthe tab heads 27 temporarily deforming to permit the full insertion oflocking tabs 24. When tab necks 26 reach slits 32 flaps 34 return towardthe planes of panels 30 with the lower edges thereof bearing on theinner faces of tabs 24, thereby effecting the tamperproof closure of thecarton 10. Prior to the closing and locking of the receptacle by one orboth sets of the panels 23 and 30- and the locking tabs, as aforesaid,the desired product to be packaged is inserted into the carton 1 0through the corresponding open side thereof.

While there has been described and illustrated a preferred embodiment ofthe present invention, it is apparent that numerous alterations,omissions and additions may be made without departing from the spiritthereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A carton formed of a unitary blank (11) and comprising a rectangularfront wall (12), a pair of rectangular side walls (23) integrally formedwith said front Wall and provided at their outer edges with inwardlydirected locking tabs (24), each locking tab including a neck portion(26) extending from a respective side wall and terminating in anenlarged head section (27) having outwardly converging side edges (29),a rectangular rear wall (19), a rectangular bottom wall (18)interconnecting the bottom edges of said front and rear walls, a pair ofrectangular panels (30) extending from the side edges of said rear walland substantially coextensive therewith and lying along the inside facesof said side walls (23), each of said panels (30) having formed alongits inner edge of medial slit (32) and oposite slits (33) divergingoutwardly from the ends of said medial slit (32) to delineate a flap(34), said tabs (24) projecting through respective medial slits (32)into proximity with said rear wall (19), the length of said medial slits(32) being between the widths of said neck portion (26) and said headsection (27 and the maximum width of said head section (27 being lessthan the distance between the ends of said diverging slits (33), a topwall (16) extending rearwardly from the top edge of said front wall(12), a display panel (17) propecting upwardly from the rear edge ofsaid top wall (16), and a tab (20) projecting upwardly from said rearwall (19) and secured to said display panel (17).

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 640,766 1/1900 Hibson 229-391,822,936 9/1931 Reichel. 2,362,230 11/ 194-4 Ziemmerman 22939 XR3,037,684 6/ 1962 Andrews 229-39 XR 3,273,702 9/ 1966 Palmer 206 .31

FOREIGN PATENTS 909,552 10/ 1962 Great Britain.

DAVIS T. MOORHEAD, vPrimary Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R.

